An internationally renowned conductor and harpsichordist, founder of Le Concert d'Astrée, Emmanuelle Haïm devotes this masterclass to the repertoire of the 17th and 18th centuries.
Cast
Emmanuelle Haïm, with the artists of the Academy of Opéra-Comique • Mathieu Pordoy, director of musical studies
Detailed cast of the 2026-2027 Academy class to come
Emmanuelle Haïm
Biography
A French conductor and harpsichordist, Emmanuelle Haïm is one of the leading figures of Baroque interpretation in Europe. After training in piano, organ and harpsichord with Kenneth Gilbert and Christophe Rousset at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, where she won five First Prizes, she devoted herself to vocal coaching at the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles. She taught at the CNSMDP from 1990 to 2002 and worked as an assistant to William Christie and Simon Rattle.
In 2000, she founded Le Concert d'Astrée, an instrumental and vocal ensemble devoted to the music of the 17th and 18th centuries. The ensemble was appointed resident artist at the Opéra de Lille in 2004 and became associated artist of the Opéra de Dijon. The first woman invited to conduct at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 2007, she has also conducted the Berlin Philharmonic, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra.
Her repertoire spans Monteverdi, Lully, Purcell, Charpentier, Rameau, Handel, Bach and Mozart. She collaborates with the greatest stage directors (Robert Carsen, Robert Wilson, Krzysztof Warlikowski, Barrie Kosky, Mariame Clément, Clément Hervieu-Léger) and with soloists such as Cecilia Bartoli, Natalie Dessay, Sabine Devieilhe, Philippe Jaroussky and Sandrine Piau. Her recordings for Erato Warner Classics have received numerous distinctions, and Le Concert d'Astrée was awarded a Victoire de la musique classique in 2003 as best ensemble of the year.
Program
A deep dive into Baroque gesture, where rhetorical precision and expressive freedom set voice and instrument in dialogue, in service of the dramatic meaning of the text.
Detailed program to come
The Academy of Opéra-Comique
A major player in lyric creation for more than three centuries, in 2023 Opéra-Comique opened an Academy dedicated to new generations of performers.
Its mission is to promote the opéra-comique genre and its specific art of interpretation, performed as close as possible to the texts and to stage action. It aspires to be a centre of artistic excellence around French singing and the art of spoken-sung performance. The Academy also aims to identify and support young French-speaking artists by encouraging them to develop fresh perspectives on lyric art and its vitality.
The disciplines of dramaturgy and costume design are also called to join this project.
